Celebrities end boycott of iconic Beverly Hills Hotel, shifting ire to North Carolina

How can Hollywood’s elite be expected to stay true to a cause when there’s a red carpet gala involved?

Two years ago, celebrities announced they would resist the allure of the Beverly Hills Hotel after its owner, the Sultan of Brunei, imposed strict Sharia Law in his country that includes the stoning of gays and adulterers.

The boycott began to wither as some of the most famed in the entertainment industry have been spotted at the hotel in recent months and pretty much came to an end with the red carpet gala on April 16 honoring Avi Lerner and Millennium Films.

Among those spotted at the gala, according to the Hollywood reporter, were Ray Liotta, Liev Schreiber, Adrien Brody, Danny DeVito, Sofia Vergara, Liam Hemsworth, Samuel L Jackson and Hilary Swank.

While at the event, Lerner berated President Barack Obama for not taking on Google over film piracy, branding the president “a coward.”

Meanwhile, Beyonce and Jay Z, Taylor Swift and Calvin Klein have all been spotted at the Beverly Hills Hotel in recent weeks, sources told the Hollywood Reporter.

The New York Times’ Maureen Dowd wrote in an op-ed that Leonardo DiCaprio had been seen by the hotel’s pool, while designer Zac Posen and TV producer Max Mutchnick have been known to hang in the Polo Lounge.

“I think (celebrities) have turned their attention toward anti-LGBT legislation being passed everywhere from North Carolina to Tennessee to care any more about a boycott of the Beverly Hills Hotel,” a source told the Hollywood Reporter.